Refrigerating apparatus



Nov. 22, 1927.

W. NEWCOMB REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 12. 1926 r" I 7'? z ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

BEFBIGERATING APPARATUS.

Application filed February I This invention relates to improvements in of course illustrative only and I may vary the structural details of the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, without departing from the essential character of my invention, or exceeding its scope, as indicated by the broad and general meanings of the terms in which the appended claim is expressed.

On the drawings,

The figure shows more or less diagrammatically a refrigerating system according to my invention; one of the tanks being illustrated as if broken away to reveal its inside construction.

The numeral 1 indicates a pair of absorption and distillation tanks of any suitable construction. They are shown as upright and cylindrical in shape, though a different shape is permissible. The refrigerating agent delivered by these tanks, which so op,- mate in alternation, passes through a cooling coil 2, and may be stored in a reservoir 3, before it is utilized in the expansion or refrigerating coils 4. When in position, the tanks 1 rest upon and are secured to up-' right supports 5.

Each tank has an inlet pipe 6 entering it near the bottom. 'This pipe leads to a coil 7 extending approximately from bottom to top, and of considerable radius with respect to the inside diameter of the tank. Adjacent the top, the coil 7 is connected to a similar coil 8 inside of it, which extends to nearly the bottom, and this coil 8 inturn connects with a similar coil 9, which runs in the top of the tank with a pipe or conduit 10 which extends down towards the bottom and is joined to an outlet 11. Both the coil '12, 1926. Serial No. 87,801.

9 and pipe 10 are substantially at the middle of the tank and extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis thereof.

The inlet pipe 6 is joined to a pair of branch pipes 12 and 13, each controlled by a valve 14. One of these devices such as the pipe 12, for instance, may be connected to a supply of steam, and the other, such as the pipe 13, may be connected to a supply of a cooling medium, such as cold water. I may' also arrange in the outlet pipe 11, a similar controlling valve 14. W'hen the steam supply pipe 12 is open, the cold water pipe will, of course, be closed. Steam can then be admitted to the coils 7, 8 and 9 and discharged from the tank by way of the-pipe 11, for heating the interior of the tank 1; and'when the inside of the tank is to be cooled, the steam supply will be shut off, and the cold Water pipe 13 opened, to circulate cold water through the coils 7, 8 and 9 and out by way of the central pipe 10 and discharge pipe 11. Both tanks 1 will be of the same design; and hence, the interior construction of only one of these tanks need be illustrated. They are connected to operate to distill the refrigerating agent and absorb it in alternation; one tank distilling and the other absorbing in a manner that will be described hereinafter.

Both these tanks will be strong enough to withstand the required pressure and each will be in communication by way of branch pipes 15 communicating with the interior thereof through the tops, with a pipe or conduit 16 leading to the cooling device 2.

Each pipe 15 will contain a controlling or shut off valve 14, and a similar valve or valves 14 may be placed in the line of the pipe 16 and between the cooling device 2 and the storage receptacle 3. I may also arrange in the line of each pipe 15, a discharge or outlet valve 17 which may be placed just below the valve 14 therein. In practice, either of the tanks 1 or both can be filled with distilled water to the required. depth. The pipe or pipes 15 are then closed by the valves 14. I also then open either or both valves 17. Steam is now passed through the coils 7, 8, 9, and the pipe 10, and the Water in the tank or tanks 1, raised to the boiling point. tanks is thus expelled, and the valves 17 can then be closed. Upon the liquid contents of the tanks 1 then cooling, a vacuum will exist All the air in the' in the tanks above the level of the water in same. The distilled water in the tanks will now absorb ammonia in the usual way when the ammonia enters the tanks and this absorbed ammonia will be distilled upon the contents of the tank again being heated.

Suppose, for example, ammonia is being utilized, in the expansion coils 4, and re turned to one of the tanks. This tank will now be cooled by water supplied by way of the pipe 13 to the coils therein, and the ammonia will be absorbed by the distilled water in that tank. At the same time, the other tank can be heated b the admission of steam coming in through tie pipe 12, and thus the contents thereof can he made to distill ammonia to be delivered to the storage reservoir 3. As the ammonia in one of the tanks is driven off, the other tank is filled and then the other tank can be used to distill ammonia, and the first tank to receive and absorb it. Thus the system can always be kept in condition for practical operation.

My invention relates more particularly to the arrangement of the coils 7, 8 and 9 in the two tanks. Each of these coils has the form of a helix and the steam is utilized not only in the operations of the tank near the surface of the wall or shell thereof, but also at the middle. The presence of the inner coil 8, and particularly the innermost coil 9 and central pipe or conduit 10, will cool the distilled water in the tank after the tank has been used for distillation, to a sufficient extent, and in the proper manner, to insure the existence of the required vacuum to on able the ammonia to be completely absorbed, and when the steam tank is again used for distilling, the effect of the steam or other heating agent in the coils 7, 8 and 9 is obtained with equal advantage and the temperature of the contents can be quickly and economically raised at once to cause the dis tillation of the refrigerating agent to commence and to continue. My system thus operates with very great advantage, gives the required refrigerating effect in very little time, and entails a very small cost.

From the storage receptacle 3, a delivery pipe runs to the refrigerating coil 4 and this pipe may contain one or more controlling valves 14. From the coil 4 runs a return pipe 19 connected separately by way of branch pipes 20 to each of the tanks 1. The pipes 20 each have a controlling valve 14 therein, so that when one of the tanks is receiving the refrigerating agent from the coil 4 and absorbing the ammonia, for example, the other tank will not bein communication with the pipe terminates inside of the tank 1 to which it leads in a perforated ring or coil of pipe 21, arranged near the bottom below the coils 7, 8 and 9, so that the returning ammonia or like refrigerating agent enters the liquid contents to the'tanks in a plurality of small jets and is quickly absorbed thereby.

The cooling device 2 may be of any suitable design and I have shown it diagrammatically, as comprising a pipe 22 jacketing or enveloping the coils containing the refrigerant and supplied with a cooling medium such as Water, through a pipe 23,and having an outlet pipe 24. These pipes also may have controlling valves 14: as desired.

Each of the tanks 1 and the storage receptacle 3 may be provided with sight glasses 25, pressure gauges 26, and safety valves indicated at 27 v The pipe connections for the various parts of my system may have automatic check valves therein, wherever. required, or any other type valve known to those skilled in the art, to make the system operate satisfactorily; though I have shown on the drawings, only enough valves to indicate how the system will work in practice.

Having described my'invention, what I believe to be new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States 1s:

A distillation and absorption tank for a refrigerating agent, having therein an outer coil of pipe in the form of a helix extending substantially from one end of the tank to the other, an intermediate coil of pipe in the form of a helix connected to the outer coil of substantially the same length as the outer coil, a central coil of pipe in the form of a helix connected to the intermediate coil and of substantially the same length as said in termediate coil, and a conduit connected to the central coil of pipe and passing through the said central coil at substantially the central axis of the tank, said conduit and said outer coil having connections leading to the outside of the tank.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed-my signature.

WILLIAM NEWCOMB. 

